Sports

One of the Niagara IceDogs’ biggest strengths all season has been its depth, with very little difference between the top three lines and a checking line that had also added to the offence.

It’s also been the ability of any player to step up his game when somebody else is struggling.

It should come as no surprise that Niagara IceDogs left winger Freddie Hamilton was give consideration as the Ontario Hockey League player of the week, an honour he was awarded earlier this month.

With Ryan Strome suffering from an injury, the elder Hamilton was moved onto a line with David Pacan and Tom Kuhnhackl for the last two games of the Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Ottawa 67’s. The San Jose Sharks prospect came through with two goals and four assists in the last two IceDogs’ wins, 5-2 in Ottawa and 3-2 Friday at Jack Gatecliff Arena,

“They’re both great players, but I’d be happy with whoever I’m playing with,” the soft-spoken St. Catharines resident said prior to practice Monday.

With his work with Team Canada at the world junior championships and his 86-point season, the 6-foot-1 190-pounder may finally be getting some of the recognition he deserves.

He, however, is not concerned about that and even if he is, he’s not gloating.

“It’s nice to get some of that recognition and kind of prove some people wrong who didn’t think too highly of me in the past,” said Hamilton, who is tied for fourth in league playoff scoring with 21 points with teammates Alex Friesen and Strome. “After the (NHL) draft, going in the fifth round was an accomplishment, but I wanted to go higher and I think it just gave me some motivation, and I’m finally proven some people wrong.”

Not that it’s a bad thing to fly under the radar a bit

“I don’t really mind the public stuff, but it gives you motivation. Your goal is to reach the NHL and all the little stuff along the way will just help motivate you to get there.

IceDogs coach/general manager Marty Williamson has been one of Hamilton’s biggest supporters all season long to anyone who would listen.

“To us, he’s not underrated — we know how valuable he is and Freddie does it all,” Williamson said. “He’s on the power play, the penalty kill, takes a regular shift and he wins some big faceoffs for us. I can’t say enough good things about what he does.

“That’s why, at the world juniors, I was so happy that he really got out from under that shadow a little bit and everybody got to see how really good he is. He’s continued it in the playoffs and I think the happiest people in the world are in San Jose.”

One might count the Hamilton household a close second, with brother Dougie joining his brother on the world junior stage and now in a long playoff run.

“It’s definitely a lot of excitement in hockey for me, my brother and my family this year, along with the five of us who went to the world juniors, too” he said.

But after a weekend off, it was back to work to prepare for the London Knights, ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in Canada for much of the season. The Knights play host to the IceDogs in the first game of the OHL Rogers Cup championship Thursday in London. Hamilton said a five-game loss to the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors in last year’s Eastern Conference final left the Dogs hungrier this season.

“The team definitely has a lot of experience,” he said. “We know how to play in big games and getting that far last season gave us some motivation to try to get farther this year.

“We wanted to make it further than last year.”

The Knights and IceDogs met just twice this season, with London winning the first game 7-3 Oct. 6 in St. Catharines and the IceDogs taking the second 3-2 in London Feb. 3. Hamilton, for one, is going to enjoy the challenge.

“Not playing them as much, I think the guys are excited,” he said. “Excited because they’re a good team and excited because they’re kind of a new team to us.

“It gets old playing some of those teams a lot and it’s nice to get something new in a new building on the road.”

Williamson has no doubt his big winger will respond.

“People have been stepping up in big moments and Freddie’s one of those guys. As the stage gets bigger, I think he plays better.”